The Afenifere Renewal Group, ARG, has called on the Federal Government to open an amnesty window for arms-bearing herders, farmers and other terrorists saying the move will help curb the spate of attacks in the country. In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr Kunle Famoriyo, ARG said it welcomes the deployments of troops to various flashpoints across the country to curb herders and farmers violent encounters.
It, however, urged that more steps needed to be taken to completely forestall needless terror in the country. The Yoruba group said it is important to nip herdsmen’ activities in the bud, adding: "there should be an executive order declaring an amnesty window for all arms-bearing herders, farmers and other terrorists wherever they may be found in our country.”
It stated that after the amnesty deadline, "anyone caught anywhere with arms should be arrested and prosecuted under the Terrorism Act. Without an initiative like this, no positive or sustainable peace can be fostered.”It also called on Houses of Assembly to make digital animal identification statutory saying “there is no part of the country today that is strange to the use of GSM technology. If all herds are digitally identifiable, clashes between farmers and herders and rustling might be largely controlled, if not eliminated. Such identification technology will also facilitate Nigerian livestock farmers for meat export business.”